Action-frame for upright pianos



(No Model.)

G. M. GUILD. Action-Frame for Upright Pianos.

No. 227,624. Patented May 18, 1880.

g c c f fl K 7 George MK uild.

NPETERS, PhoTQ-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTUN. D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICEQ GEORGE M. GUILD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ACTION-FRAME FOR UPRIGHT PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,624, dated May 18, 1880.

Application filed March 8, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. GUILD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, of the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inthe Frames or Supports of the Actions of Upright Piano-Fortes; and I do hereby declare the same to be described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which" Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a medial transverse section, of a piano-forte action support frame and its sustaining case provided with my invention. Fig. 3 is another vertical and transverse section of said parts, the plane of the section being through one of the end standards for sustaining the action-support bars. Fig. 4 is a top view of one of the tenoned brackets, to be hereinafter described.

The nature of my invention consists, first, in the combination, with the action-support bars and their sustaining-standards, of a strengthening-bar arranged above the action-support bars, and extended from one to the other of the standards, and fastened to shoulders projeetin g therefrom; second, in sustaining-brackets attached to the case, and provided with tapering tenons, in combination with the action-support frame having its outer standards furnished with tapering sockets to receive the tenons, such standards being pivoted at their lower ends, as hereinafter set forth.

One object of the strengthening-bar, arranged at the upper parts of all of the standards and above the action-support bars, is to so connect the said standards as to prevent vibration of them and consequent sound, especially of the intermediate ones, where projecting above the action-bars, while the instrument may be played on. Another objectis to greatly strengthen the whole frame.

The purpose of the brackets fastened to the case and provided with conical or tapering tenons to enter corresponding sockets in the end standards of the action-frame is to insure the latter being always brought back to the same position after it may have been turned down for the adjustment of the parts of the action, for were not this the case the hammers (No model.)

would not come into their proper situations relatively to their strings.

In carrying out my invention, I compose the action-sustaining frame of the horizontal support-bars A B and a series of vertical standards, 0 (l 0, arranged as represented, the bars A B being of wood and the standards of metal, and I usually have one or more intermediate standards, 0, and two external and longer or end standards, G, such end standards, near their upper ends, being provided with shoulders to a, upon which, and upon the top ofeach intermediate standard, 0, there is placed, and secured by means of screws, a strengthening-bar, D, which I prefer to have made of wood rather than metal.

Each of the standards, at its foot, is pivoted to the bottom board of the case E, and at its upper part each end standard, 0, is furnished with a conical or tapering socket, I), to receive and fit closely to a conical and tapering tenon, 0, extending from a bracket, F, which is screwed or otherwise properly fastened to the side g of the case. Furthermore, a screw, (I, screwed into the tenou, serves to hold the standard in connection with the bracket.

Heretofore it has been customary, as is shown in the United States Patent entitled Reissue No. 7,950, to connect the end standards to the metallic string-frame by means of screws going through the said standards and screwed into their wrest-plank of the said string-frame, the standards having spherical feet resting in sustaining-sockets.

I avoid all direct connection of the actionsupporting frame with the string-frame, as I connect such action-supporting frame with the case by means of the brackets fastened to the latter, and provided with tapering tenons to enter corresponding sockets in the end standards, and held therein by screws, all as hereinbefore mentioned.

By thus insulating the action-supporting frame from the string-supporting frame the vibrations of the latter do not affect the actionsupporting frame to disadvantage, or, in other words, produce therein vibration liable to engender more or less noise.

I claim 1. In an upright piano-forte, in combination With the action-support bars and their series of snstainin standards, the strengtheningbar arranged above the action-support bars and connected to the standards, substantially as specified.

2. The brackets provided with the taperin tenons, and fastened to the sides of the case, in combination with the action-support frame end standards pivoted to the case and pro Vided with tapering sockets to fit to and re- IO eeive the tenons, all being substantially as set forth.

GEORGE M. GUILD. Witnesses It. H. EDDY, W. W. LUNT. 

